Everything is Ending
by StormWolf10
Summary: Sequel to 'To Be Inspired or Run'. Now safely back with the Doctor, Jack and Jackie, Rose must try to overcome what has happened to her with help from those closest to her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Back by popular demand, it's the sequel to 'To Be Inspired or Run', ladies and gentlemen! Again, the title of the story is from a Chameleon Circuit song, as is the title for this series (Nightmares). I hope you enjoy this story as much as the original!**

Rose watched as Jackie pottered about in the kitchen, chatting away. Of course, she wasn't really paying attention to a word her mother was saying, but she hummed in agreement every now and then, just to make Jackie feel she was being listened to. The Doctor was fiddling around in the TARDIS, and Jack had yet to wake up as it was only five thirty in the morning. Rose, of course, hadn't been able to sleep. She'd drifted in and out of a fitful slumber for several hours before giving up, showering and dressing and heading into the sitting room. The Doctor had stayed with her throughout the night, calming her when the nightmares came, and holding her as she sobbed. He had tried to encourage her to remain in bed for at least a few more hours, but it seemed that Rose was determined to get up. And so, by quarter to five that morning, Rose Tyler had been up, showered, dressed and was eating breakfast. Somewhere between Rose getting in the shower and getting back out again, Jackie had woken up and refused to go back to bed when her 'little girl' needed her.

"So, I said to Bev, 'well, he's a bit of alright, ain't he?' an' didn't think nothin' else of it. But then, I turned around 'bout five minutes later an' she was over there snoggin' him! Poor bloke didn't know what 'it 'im!" Jackie announced, placing another cup of tea in front of Rose.

Rose wrapped her hands around the mug, feeling the warmth seeping through her skin, almost as if it were seeping into her very bones. She hadn't realised just how badly that damp, cold house had affected her. Jackie sat down opposite her daughter at the small kitchen table and watched Rose carefully. The younger Tyler woman was still pale, and hadn't really spoken since the previous night when they'd managed to coax a few things out of her. Jackie watched her daughter, desperate to do something, _anything_ to make her feel better, but she was so scared that even touching Rose would make her panic; she had no idea what would trigger flashbacks for her. Jackie Tyler had never felt so helpless in her life.

**~StormWolf10~**

Jack dropped onto the sofa beside Rose, causing her to jump.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," he told her quickly, reaching out to squeeze her arm reassuringly.

Rose smiled weakly, but Jack didn't miss how she'd stiffened beneath his touch.

"The Doctor tells me you've been up since before five this morning," Jack continued, concern evident in his tone.

Rose shrugged, evidently not wanting a fuss.

"Nightmares?" Jack asked, already knowing the answer.

The Doctor had been beside himself when Jack had woken up; the Time Lord had virtually gutted the wiring in the TARDIS simply so he'd have something to do other than worry and fret over Rose's nightmares. That plan, however, had failed.

"Yeah," Rose whispered, meeting Jack's eyes briefly before her gaze skittered away again.

Jackie was watching the interaction carefully from behind a copy of _Heat! _magazine, something Jack was perfectly aware of while Rose seemed oblivious.

"Where's the Doctor?" she asked suddenly, keen to change the conversation.

"He's in the TARDIS," Jack replied calmly, watching as Rose quickly stood and hurried to the spare room where the TARDIS was parked.

As soon as Rose had left the room, Jackie stopped pretending to listen to the conversation and instead dropped her magazine on the table.

"How _is_ the Doctor?" Jackie asked gently.

"Just about holding it together," Jack admitted "I woke up to find that he'd gutted the TARDIS wiring just so he could put it back together again. I don't think he wants to admit just how shaken he is."

"He blames 'imself, doesn't he?" Jackie asked, sighing.

Jack nodded.

"He was telling me about Rose's nightmares last night, about how she kept dreaming she was back there. I think it took everything he had just to keep it together around Rose," Jack confided quietly.

"I wish we could 'elp," Jackie admitted sadly "but I'm so worried I'll say something that'll trigger Rose and upset or hurt 'er,"

"Jackie," Jack replied, moving to sit opposite the woman "to be honest with you, I don't think we have a choice. We have to help Rose through this,"

Wide-eyed, Jackie nodded.

**~StormWolf10~**

The Doctor was working beneath the TARDIS console when he heard the TARDIS doors open. Assuming it was Jack, he sighed and pulled himself out from below the grating. Only to find Rose stood there. She had one hand on a nearby coral strut, stroking it gently, and the Doctor could tell by her expression that the TARDIS was talking in her mind. It was evidently relaxing and calming for her, because all the tension and pain that had been visible in Rose's expression since she'd woken that morning had lessened and become less obvious. The Doctor considered speaking to get her attention, but then thought better of it; the last thing he wanted to do was scare her in her fragile condition. Eventually, Rose did notice him.

"Hi," she murmured, offering him a weak smile.

The Doctor smiled back gently, although he didn't miss her hands clenching and unclenching as she struggled to remain calm.

"What are you doing in here? Gotten bored of your Mum's company already?" the Doctor joked, grinning.

Rose grinned slightly at that, causing the Doctor to swell with pride. They had a long way to go, but it was a start.

"Just a bit," Rose admitted, nose crinkling at the admission.

The Doctor chuckled.

"Wanna come and take a seat? I've just got a few more wires I need to reconnect," he told her gently, gesturing at the jump seat.

Rose nodded and padded across the floor to the seat. The Doctor ducked back below the console with the sonic in hand to fix the last few wires while Rose watched in silence. Once that was done, he climbed back out and surveyed his companion carefully.

"Do you want to stay in here or go back to your Mum's flat?" he asked.

"Stay here," Rose admitted softly, cheeks flushing with unneeded embarrassment "I've missed the TARDIS,"

"Well, come on then," the Doctor told her, resisting the urge to finish off the sentence with 'Rose Tyler'- he didn't want to trigger her- and holding his hand out to her "let's go to the library, eh?"

Rose took his hand shyly, and he led her down the corridor. They were almost there when the Doctor felt Rose stiffen.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, stopping her and taking both hands in his.

Almost immediately, Rose pulled her hands away and withdrew far enough away that he couldn't reach her.

"S- Sorry," Rose stuttered, eyes wide and brimming with tears "you…It was just…you were too close,"

The Doctor's hearts broke as Rose desperately tried not to cry, and for a few moments he honestly did believe she was about to have a panic attack.

"Rose, it's fine," he told her sincerely "you have nothing to be sorry for. I won't walk as close, yeah? And it's alright to tell me and your Mum and Jack when we're doing things that make you feel uneasy, ok?"

Rose nodded meekly and, after a reassuring smile from the Doctor, carried on down the corridor with him to the library.

"Go on, go pick a book and we'll read it together," he told her once the entered the room.

As Rose wandered off between the shelves of books, she didn't notice the Time Lord close his eyes and take a deep breath. This was going to be harder than any of them had thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2! I'm absolutely overwhelmed at the response this story has received already, so a big thank you to all my readers! Also, I've planned out this story, which will have 10 chapters in total and then will continue in another sequel which will have 6 chapters :)**

That night, after Rose and the Doctor had finished reading the book she'd picked out ('Just Henry'- she'd started reading it ages ago and never finished), Rose asked to sleep on the TARDIS.

"Are you sure?" the Doctor asked gently, brow furrowed.

Rose nodded shyly, and the Doctor resisted the urge to reach out and cup her cheek.

"Ok, why don't you go and get ready for bed and I'll let your Mum know?" the Doctor suggested.

Again, Rose just nodded, and they walked from the library down the corridor to Rose's room. Seeing Rose inside, the Doctor then headed to the control room and out the doors into the spare room of Jackie's flat. Jackie herself was sat on the bed, evidently having been waiting for them to come out of the TARDIS, but from the sounds coming from the front room, Jack was watching TV (and yelling rather loudly at it, at that).

"How is she?" Jackie asked worriedly.

"Rose is going to sleep on the TARDIS tonight," the Doctor explained "it seems to have calmed her just by being in there, and I'm hoping that that means her nightmares won't be as bad."

Jackie looked a little put out, but nodded anyway upon hearing that it may lessen Rose's nightmares.

"Where is she now?" Jackie asked quietly.

"Getting ready for bed," the Doctor answered "you can come in and see her if you'd like."

Jackie nodded a little too eagerly, already moving towards the TARDIS. The Doctor smiled slightly and led his companion's mother into his ship and through the winding corridors to Rose's bedroom.

"And you're sure she'll be ok in here?" Jackie asked apprehensively "It seems rather big in here; if she has a nightmare, will you even hear?"

"My room's right here, Jackie," the Doctor assured gently, pointing at the door on the opposite side of the corridor "and the TARDIS will wake me if Rose needs me,"

Looking rather relieved at this, Jackie gave the Doctor a weak smile before knocking gently on the door. They heard Rose carefully call out "Who is it?" and Jackie quickly replied before opening the door. It seemed that Rose was already in bed, the duvet pulled up to her chin and eyes wide.

"Hello, sweetheart," Jackie murmured, smiling at her daughter fondly as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Hi, Mum," Rose mumbled, sleep already claiming her "hope you don't mind me sleeping here tonight,"

"Not at all, love," Jackie answered sincerely "I'll see you in the morning, yeah?"

Rose nodded, and Jackie kissed the forehead before leaving the room. However, she lingered in the doorway and watched the quiet, gentle interaction between her daughter and the Time Lord for a few moments before the Doctor joined her at the door.

**~StormWolf10~**

"How was Rose?" Jack asked, watching the Time Lord as he flopped into the armchair.

The Doctor sighed, only smiling slightly when Jackie passed him a mug of tea.

"She almost had a panic attack earlier," the Doctor admitted tiredly "we'd been walking down to the library and I didn't think there was anything wrong until she stiffened and pulled away. Turned out I'd been walking too close to her and it freaked her out because of when the Master kept threatening her and trying to read her mind,"

Jackie bit her lip while Jack swore under his breath, both of them trying to keep their emotions in check.

"And…And what happened?" Jackie asked, one hand covering her mouth.

"Well, I told Rose that it was fine." the Doctor admitted, shrugging and refusing to meet Jack's and Jackie's eyes "And I said that it's ok for her to tell us if we're doing something that makes her feel uneasy,"

Jack nodded in understanding.

"I just hope Rose feels comfortable enough to tell her when we're doing something that panics her," Jackie murmured quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 :) Read and review XD**

"Did you sleep alright last night, sweetheart?" Jackie asked as she handed Rose a mug of coffee.

Rose shrugged, and Jackie noticed she still looked rather tired.

"Nightmares again?" Jackie asked sympathetically, sitting down on the sofa beside Rose.

Rose nodded, and hastily wiped her eyes as tears began to fall. Sighing, Jackie tugged her daughter close and hugged her.

"It's alright to be scared, Rose," Jackie told her daughter softly, fighting back her own tears "no one will think any less of you,"

Rose stared up at her mother, wide brown eyes bright with unshed tears.

"No?" Rose asked meekly, almost as if she didn't believe it.

"No," Jackie answered, gentle but adamant "and we can talk about it now if you want, or not. That's why the Doctor an' Jack have gone out for the day, give us some time together."

Rose swallowed, and Jackie noticed that her hands began to shake.

"Like I said, we don't 'ave to talk about it," Jackie reminded her daughter kindly "an' I'm not gonna push you. Lord knows you've been through enough,"

Rose didn't answer, and Jackie noticed that Rose was staring straight ahead, seemingly paralyzed with fear, although one hand did automatically move towards her ribs. Jackie Tyler wasn't stupid; her daughter was having a flashback. Desperately trying to recall what the Doctor and Jack had told her about encouraging Rose out of her flashbacks gently, Jackie turned Rose to face her, rubbing her arms and calling her name softly. After a horrid, long minute, Rose snapped out of it, tears streaming down her face and her breath catching.

"It's alrigh', sweetheart," Jackie told her daughter as Rose virtually launched herself at her mother for a hug "you're safe now. The Doctor an' Jack saved you, and fixed you up again. You have nothin' to worry about."

"I…I'm so sorry!" Rose managed to choke out through her tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Jackie told her daughter quickly, unknowingly echoing the Doctor's words from the previous day.

"I do!" Rose protested, voice weak but determined "I made you go through tha'! I didn't want you to have to see me like tha',"

"Oh, Rose," Jackie murmured, tears threatening to spill again "it's ok,"

But Jackie knew she was lying. She could remember the moment she'd finally been able to get to Rose. She'd looked so pale, so fragile, in that hideous scrap of a wedding dress (if it could be called a wedding dress), but Jackie had held it together. Even when they'd gotten back to the TARDIS, and they'd taken Rose straight to the Infirmary, and they'd listed her injuries. Jackie could still remember the look of absolute devastation and horror on the Doctor's face as he'd read out the list:

_Broken ribs x 13_

_Punctured lung_

_Abrasions to upper thighs and arms_

_Bruises on upper thighs/hips/waist/jawbone_

Even as the Doctor and Jack openly swore at the list of injuries, Jackie had held it together. But the question was, how long could she hold it together for? The last thing she needed was Rose seeing her getting upset because she was upset.

"What?!" Rose squeaked, jerking Jackie from her thoughts.

Rose was pale and wide-eyed, and it was only then that Jackie realised that she'd said all of that aloud. As she struggled to rectify her mistake, Rose stood and hurried to the kitchen. Jackie followed, panicked.

"I'm sorry, Rose! You weren't meant to find out! Well, not like that!" Jackie told her daughter desperately.

However, Rose only shook her head.

"No, 'm glad you told me, Mum," Rose replied quietly "I jus'…I jus' need a drink,"

Slightly relieved, Jackie watched as her daughter reached into the cupboard for a glass, but as Rose went to put it on the worktop and reach for the water jug at the same time, the glass slipped and landed on the floor, smashing on impact. Unable to stop herself, Jackie tutted.

"Oh, Rose," she muttered, dropping to her knees to begin picking up the shards of glass.

As she did so, there was a thud, and Jackie looked up to see that Rose had backed herself into the corner beside the sink, pale, crying and trembling.

"I'm sorry!" Rose squeaked as Jackie straightened up, frowning "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that! Please…Please don't hurt me!"

"Rose, sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you!" Jackie insisted, quickly depositing the glass in the bin before stepping towards her daughter.

However, Rose pressed herself further into the corner, almost as if she wanted it to swallow her up.

"Please don't hurt me!" Rose repeated quietly.

And with that, she slid to the floor and curled up in a foetal position.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for lack of updates, was trying to make this chapter a little longer :)**

The Doctor burst into Jackie's flat, Jack close on his heels. Jackie herself was stood in the sitting room doorway, evidently waiting for them, wringing her hands nervously.

"Where is she?" the Doctor asked urgently, noticing the sitting room was empty.

"Kitchen," Jackie replied quickly, stepping out of the way so the Doctor could barge through.

Upon entering the kitchen, the Doctor immediately spotted Rose curled up in the corner of the kitchen, hugging her knees to her chest and rocking backwards and forwards slightly. Carefully, he crossed the room and knelt beside her, one hand on her arm reassuringly.

"She hasn't moved since you called us, then?" Jack asked Jackie quietly as they watched from the doorway.

Jackie shook her head, trembling.

"I didn't know what to do!" Jackie whispered guiltily "She wouldn't believe me that I wouldn't hurt 'er!"

Jack squeezed Jackie's shoulder gently, trying to reassure her. The Doctor was talking softly to Rose, and neither Jack nor Jackie could hear what exactly the Time Lord was saying, but he seemed to be coaxing Rose out of the corner. The Doctor stayed like that for several minutes, during which Jack led Jackie into the sitting room after discovering that him trying to help Rose was not working if she felt that she was being crowded. Nonetheless, a little over fifteen minutes for the Doctor to coax a rather shaky Rose out of the corner and back into the sitting room. Once out of the kitchen, Rose perched nervously on the arm of the sofa, her face burning red as she flushed in embarrassment, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"Sorry 'bout that," she told them quietly, picking at her nails rather than looking at them.

"It's fine sweetheart," Jackie assured her daughter, laying a reassuring arm on her daughter's shoulder.

Jack and the Doctor watched in silence, and Jack could feel the Doctor tense beside him. He knew the Time Lord blamed himself, and he also knew the Doctor hated that Jackie had to be so tentative and afraid around her own daughter in case something triggered Rose again. However, he relaxed slightly when Rose quickly tugged Jackie over and hugged her tight, beginning to sob.

"It'll get better for her, won't it, Doc?" Jack asked the Time Lord quietly, not taking his eyes off of Rose and her Mother.

The Doctor didn't reply.

**~StormWolf10~**

"Will it get easier?" Rose asked suddenly.

The Doctor, Jack and Jackie all looked up. It was mid-evening and the four of them were in Jackie's sitting room watching TV.

"Sorry?" Jack asked, brow furrowing.

"Will it get easier?" Rose asked again, eyes downcast.

She was sat with her back against the Doctor's chest, and had been sat there for quite a while now, although the Doctor knew it was only a matter of time before she pulled away. He tried to not take it too harshly, and knew that Rose wasn't doing it to upset him; sometimes she felt fine being close to him, and other times it brought back memories of what the Master had done to her. Thankfully, right now it seemed to be the former.

"I don't know, Rose," the Doctor admitted quietly, taking her hand in his "but we're gonna try,"

Rose bit her lip and turned round slightly to bury her face in the Doctor neck.

"I have a…friend in Cardiff who might be able to help," Jack piped up suddenly.

Jackie looked up, hope lighting up in her eyes.

"Does this 'friend' of yours happen to work at Torchwood with you?" the Doctor asked coldly.

Jack sighed and regretted telling the Doctor about where he worked; the Doctor didn't know much about Torchwood, but as soon as Jack had told them about the rift and how they scavenged alien technology to help defend the Earth, the Doctor had immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. In fact, he had jumped right back into a Northern accent and had begun a rant which included the phrase 'stupid apes' more times than Jack cared to count.

"Well, yeah," Jack replied quietly "but…"

"No," the Doctor cut in quickly "absolutely not. I'm not having Rose go anywhere near there."

"Now, hang on, Doctor!" Jackie chipped in angrily "Don't I get a say in this? If this…friend can help Rose, surely we should try!"

The Doctor sighed while Jack looked smug, and he was about to speak when Rose pulled away from the Doctor suddenly.

"Don't I get a say?" Rose asked angrily, voice rising "No? Guess you didn't think of that, huh? Well, I'm not goin' anywhere!"

And with that, Rose stormed out the sitting room and straight to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Well, I guess that's a no, then," Jack muttered, sitting back in the sofa.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: We've reached the halfway mark of this story already, folks :) Please continue to read and review ;)**

The next day, Jack was awake early, and had left the TARDIS to go sit in Jackie's front room after hearing several curses in several different alien languages coming from beneath the console; he figured the Doctor was doing 'maintenance' again. He had been sitting in the flat for little over five minutes when Rose came out of the bathroom, fully dressed.

"Oh, hi Jack," she told him, evidently shocked at seeing him there.

"Hi Rose," Jack replied, although he was frowning "what are you doing up this early?"

"I was having a shower,"

Rose answered as if it were perfectly acceptable for humans to be taking showers at quarter to five on a Saturday morning. Jack watched her carefully as Rose hurried to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. He knew there was something wrong with her, something she was trying to hide, because the moment she'd seen him, she'd tugged the neck of her t-shirt up higher. A bruise, or a scratch maybe? But then, as he saw Rose pulling her hair into a pony tail and tying it up, he noticed. She wasn't wearing the TARDIS key. Ever since he'd first met Rose, she'd worn the TARDIS key on a chain around her neck, but now it wasn't there. Getting more and more confused, Jack pushed himself to his feet, heading to the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and leant against the frame.

"Where's your TARDIS key, Rose?" Jack asked quietly.

Rose didn't look round, but her voice shook as she replied.

"I dunno what you're talking about, Jack, I'm wearin' it."

"No you're not," Jack replied softly.

He wanted to move towards her, to hug her, but after her reaction to Jackie yesterday, he was scared Rose would freak out again.

"Rose," Jack prompted quietly.

Rose sighed, and turned to face him. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"I've not been wearin' it," Rose admitted quietly, shyly.

"Why not?" Jack probed gently.

"'Cause of what happened. With…With... _you know_," Rose looked up, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears, desperate for Jack to know who she was talking about without having to say his name.

Jack nodded silently, wishing they'd been able to get to Rose sooner.

"Well, I've not been wearin' it. So that if…If it happens again, they can't put a block on it," Rose finished nervously, mumbling and shifting from foot to foot.

"But Rose, the TARDIS key was what helped us find you!" Jack reminded her, smiling softly and urging her to understand.

"I know! An' I know I'm bein' silly by not wearin' it, but…" Rose trailed off, sighing "I'm so scared, Jack! What if it happens again? An' you and the Doctor don't get there in time? He'll blame himself, I know it! He already blames himself now, even though it wasn't his fault. I should never have asked to visit Mum! If I hadn't agreed to stay the night here…If I hadn't told the Doctor to leave…If…"

She was cut off unexpectedly as Jack placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. At some point during her terror-fuelled rant, he'd stepped within touching distance.

"No 'if's, Rose," Jack told her quietly "it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault. Not your Mum's, not the Doctor's, and _certainly_ not yours."

Rose looked up at Jack and realised that his blue eyes were shining with tears. Rose gasped slightly at that as it suddenly hit her like a freight train; she may have been the one the Master had tied up and abused and manipulated and brainwashed, but she wasn't the only victim in all of this. Because her family had been caught up in this as well; the three people she cared most about in the whole world (Rose was now grateful Mickey was in the parallel world- she had put him through enough already without adding kidnap and torture to the list) had suffered too. Rose's first reaction was that she felt guilty for not realising it sooner, for being wrapped up in her own self-pity to notice how it was affecting those around her. But her second reaction was much, much more profound. Because, she now realised one very important thing. She was Rose Tyler and she was not alone in all this.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Chapter six. I know it's short, but it's an important chapter. Also, if I made it any longer, the story would end up being less chapters.**

"Here, where do you get off hidin' in this blue box of yours? At least Jack's makin' 'imself useful in the flat!"

The Doctor stiffened beneath the TARDIS console as Jackie's strident tones reverberated through the control room. Taking a deep breath, he hauled himself out from under the console, grinning disarmingly at Jackie.

"Jackie," he announced, a forced grin still fixed on his face "what a pleasant surprise!"

"Jus' answer this, Doctor," Jackie cut in, hands on hips, a look of determination on her face "why are you hidin' away in your blue box rather than bein' with Rose?"

The Doctor's face fell immediately, and instead of answering the question, he busied himself with sliding the panel of grating back over the hole in the floor.

"Doctor?" Jackie repeated, obviously getting impatient.

The Doctor stiffened, and still didn't reply or look at Jackie. When Jackie repeated his name for a third time, it was softer than before, full of concern. Jackie Tyler may be many things, the Doctor mused, but she certainly wasn't daft. He sighed and turned to face his companion's mother.

"I'm in here, 'hiding away' as you so put it, because I don't know how to be _out there_ with Rose," the Doctor admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?" Jackie asked gently, frowning as she led the Doctor over to sit down on the only chair in the room.

"I mean I don't know how to be around her anymore, Jackie!" the Doctor shot back in frustration.

However, Jackie didn't appear at all fazed by his outburst, and merely rubbed her back. He supposed that it was because she had raised a child on he own; she was used to outbursts like that.

"Why'd you say that, Doctor? You've been fine all the time you've been around Rose," Jackie reminded him softly.

"I'm constantly scared, Jackie," the Doctor admitted softly, examining his shoes rather than looking at her "every time I say something to her, touch her, even stand near her, I'm scared it's going to trigger something. I don't want to hurt her, Jackie, that's the last thing I want! But I'm treading on eggshells around her _all the time_!"

"We all are, sweetheart," Jackie pointed out, still rubbing his back.

"But it's worse with me." The Doctor answered bitterly "The Master made himself me in Rose's memories. Yes, ok, it was the Master's appearance, but it was our memories, the memories that Rose and I share. He copied the way I speak to her, the way I smile at her, everything. And I'm constantly scared that it will be _my voice_ that triggers her next episode."

By the time the Doctor had finished speaking, his voice was barely audible, and Jackie was left awkwardly hugging a sobbing Time Lord, lost for words.

"I want to help her, Jackie!" the Doctor sobbed "But what if I'm making it worse? What if me just _being here_ makes it worse?"

"You can't leave, Doctor," Jackie told him suddenly, adamant.

Her tone caused the Doctor to look up. He looked a mess, hair sticking up wildly, tie askew, red-rimmed eyes and tear tracks down his face, jacket stained with oil.

"But she's not getting any better while I'm here." He replied quietly.

"No, she isn't," Jackie agreed "but she's not getting any worse either. If you leave her here, Doctor, I really don't think she'll even try to get better. The one thing that's keeping her going right now is the possibility that she can be back out among those stars with you."

"But what if I am a trigger?" the Doctor protested, eyes wide with fear.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, Doctor." Jackie answered calmly "One day at a time."

She then stood, tugging the Time Lord up with her, who gave her a confused look.

"Now then, are you going to stay in here hidin' away, or are you gonna come and help Rose?" Jackie asked briskly.

Without a word, the Doctor followed Jackie back into the flat.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Chapter 7. Thanks for all the reviews and favourites, guys!**

It had been just over a month since they had gotten Rose back and the Master had been killed. In that time, they had seen a slow but optimistic improvement in Rose. Although she still had yet to actually venture out of the flat for longer than ten minutes at a time (and that had only been to accompany Jack down to the little newsagents in the estate to pick up some milk), she seemed to be doing well. That was, until, Jackie discovered that Rose hadn't been eating. Because Rose was still having trouble sleeping, Jackie often got up in the morning to find Rose was already up and dressed. On these occasions, Rose had said she'd already eaten, and- sure enough- there would be an empty plate and mug by the sink. However, one morning Jackie woke early, and when she headed into the sitting room she noticed Rose in the kitchen. She was about to greet her daughter, but stopped when she saw Rose take a plate and a mug from the kitchen cupboard and place them beside the sink. Brow furrowing, Jackie noted that Rose had placed the items on the same side of the sink that they always piled the dirty crockery on, for them to wash later. She shook her head, refusing to believe that Rose was doing what she thought she was doing; surely she was just putting the items there while she loaded up the toaster, right? But then, Rose turned around to exit the kitchen.

"Mum! I didn't hear you get up!" Rose spluttered, eyes wide as she shifted from foot to foot nervously.

"Rose," Jackie began cautiously "you are going to eat breakfast, right?"

"I- I just have!" Rose insisted, although she didn't meet Jackie's eyes.

"Rose, I watched you take the plate and mug out of the cupboard and not use them!" Jackie told her daughter sharply, instantly regretting her tone as Rose recoiled.

"What's going on?"

Both women turned to see the Doctor- fully dressed- in the sitting room doorway, looking rather confused.

Rose quickly piped up with a "Nothin'!" just as Jackie spoke over her.

"Rose hasn't been eating." Jackie explained loudly.

"Mum!" Rose moaned, eyes wide.

The Doctor watched Rose carefully for a minute or so before speaking.

"Alright," the Doctor told them "Jackie can you go and make Rose some breakfast? Perhaps just some cereal, or some dry toast?"

Jackie nodded, noticing that the Doctor and Rose needed some time alone. As Jackie slipped into the kitchen, the Doctor continued watching Rose carefully.

"I'm not hungry," Rose told him quietly, ducking her head.

"Rose, you need to eat," the Doctor told her gently, stepping forward to gently steer Rose over to the small table.

Pulling a chair out, the Doctor tried to encourage Rose to sit down, but she refused to cooperate. In fact, the more the Doctor tried, the more Rose struggled. Almost five minutes later, they were still struggling, and the Doctor had had enough.

"For god's sake, Rose! Just sit down!" the Doctor snapped suddenly.

The effect was instantaneous. Rose's face drained of all colour, her breathing harsh and ragged, her hands shaking.

"Doctor? What's happenin'?" Jackie asked worriedly, appearing in the kitchen doorway.

The Doctor didn't bother replying. They both knew what was happening. Rose was having another flashback. Rose had sunk into the chair of her own accord by this point. Immediately, the Doctor knelt on the floor in front of her, tentatively reaching out to grasp her hands in his.

"Rose, look at me, Rose. You're safe now, yeah?" the Doctor prompted gently, urging her to understand.

But Rose suddenly pulled her hands away from the Doctor's, her eyes- startled and wide- focused on his face momentarily and she pressed herself back into the chair even more. Her breathing became- if possible- even more ragged. The Doctor recoiled from her as if he'd been burnt, pushing himself to his feet and retreating at impossible speed to the other side of the sitting room. Confused, Jackie hurried to her daughter and proceeded to calm her down, occasionally glancing over worriedly at the Time Lord.

**~StormWolf10~**

After twenty long minutes, Rose had finally calmed. Little more than five minutes previously, Jack had joined them, but was quite frankly clueless as to what was happening.

"Sorry 'bout that," Rose murmured after she had finally managed to regulate her breathing.

"It's alright sweetheart," Jackie told her daughter gently, pressing a kiss to Rose's forehead.

"Rose, I don't really know the full extent of what happened, but we _have_ to look at this as progress. We can work out what triggered you, and can begin working to help you through it." Jack told Rose optimistically, leaning against the doorframe.

"Do you know what triggered it?" Jackie asked gently.

Rose nodded reluctantly, eyes wide. Jack glanced over at the Doctor, who had been oddly quiet throughout Rose's episode. The Time Lord was looking more depressed than he had in over three weeks when he'd revealed to Jackie that he wasn't coping very well.

"It was…It…" Rose began, stuttering as she tried to admit what exactly had triggered her flashbacks "it was the Doctor,"

The Doctor looked up at that, wide-eyed and pale. Both Jackie and Jack weren't too sure what to say, although Jackie did find her tongue after a few moments.

"Are you sure, Rose?" Jackie asked, brow furrowing.

Rose nodded as silent tears began sliding down her cheeks.

"It was when he forced me to sit down, an' all I could think of was when…_him_ and Hart had dragged me up from the basement an' made me sit in that chair and tied me to it." Rose admitted, staring at the floor "An' then, when the Doctor snapped at me… it just kinda reminded me of when _he_ kept yellin' and hittin' me…"

Jack opened his mouth to say something, but the Doctor's quiet, shell-shocked voice interrupted him.

"It…It was me?" he asked quietly, eyes damp with unshed tears.

Rose nodded yet again, raising her head to meet his eyes. She wanted to tell him that she was sorry, that it wasn't his fault, that she needed him to stay, to help her through it. But then the Doctor was hurrying out of the room, down the short hallway and into the TARDIS. Nobody saw him for the rest of the day.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Two chapters left now XD Hope you like this chapter :)**

It was almost three days when Jack finally saw the Doctor again. Despite sleeping in the TARDIS, Jack hadn't managed to track the Time Lord down, and he suspected that the TARDIS had been working with her pilot to keep him hidden away from the likes of Jack and Jackie. However, Jack finally managed to locate the Doctor in his favourite study. Evidently, the TARDIS had gotten bored of entertaining the Doctor's silly need to be hidden away from his friends, as she had led Jack right to the Time Lord. When Jack found him, the Doctor was sat at the one desk, scribbling something down furiously, muttering under his breath, shirtsleeves rolled up and his hair a mess. He evidently hadn't shaved since the last time Jack had seen him three days previously, and he had dark shadows under his eyes. Jack jumped as the Doctor suddenly yelled "That's it!", his face lighting up.

"Doctor?" Jack piped up, stepping into the room "What's it?"

The Time Lord spun round, wide-eyed.

"Oh. Hello, Jack. Didn't hear you come in." the Doctor told him, attempting a weak smile before looking up at the ceiling "I thought I told you to keep everyone out, Old Girl?"

"Look, Doctor, Rose has been asking for you," Jack told the Time Lord, ignoring the fact that the Doctor still seemed to be talking to the TARDIS "she really misses you."

"It's better for Rose if I stay away from her." The Doctor told Jack tensely, a slight hint of the Northern accent his ninth incarnation had had coming through as he spoke.

"And how is she supposed to work through these triggers if you're not there to help her? And seeing as one of the triggers is to do with you, it gives you even more reason to be there." Jack pointed out, anger rising.

"And I will be there to help her!" the Doctor insisted "Right after I've put my plan into action."

"What plan?" Jack demanded, striding across the room only to be met halfway by the Doctor. The Time Lord and the Time Agent stood toe to toe.

"It's nothing you need to worry about. But it will help Rose, and that's what's important." The Doctor answered quickly.

Jack looked over the Time Lord's shoulder at the desk, and could see several pieces of paper, all covered with the Doctor's scrawling handwriting. Catching the Doctor by surprise, Jack quickly dived past him and grabbed the topmost piece of paper. The Doctor immediately began struggling, trying to grab the piece of paper, but Jack had just enough time to read the Doctor's plan before the paper was torn from his grasp. Stunned beyond belief, Jack only had one thing to say to the Time Lord.

"Please tell me you're _kidding_ me!"

**~StormWolf10~**

"No, Doctor, I'm not letting you do this!"

"I don't care, Harkness! This isn't about you! This is _my_ choice and it will help _Rose_! Rose is my priority, ok? So I don't care what you think I should or shouldn't do!"

Jackie and Rose glanced at one another. The two men were arguing so loudly that they could be heard outside the TARDIS.

"What're they arguing about?" Jackie asked Rose, brow furrowing.

"Well I don't know! I'm out here with you!" Rose reminded her mother, trying to ignore the fact that her hands were shaking.

They listened to the argument for a few minutes longer before Jackie sighed and pushed open the doors to the TARDIS.

"Now, you two, I don't know what you're arguin' about, but stop it right now!" Jackie told them fiercely, hands on hips.

Both men stopped arguing immediately.

"Why were you arguing?" Rose piped up quietly, standing in the doorway of the TARDIS.

"The Doctor's had this crazy plan that'll stop his voice from triggering your flashbacks." Jack began cautiously.

"It doesn't involve you goin' into my mind, does it?" Rose squeaked, eyes wide as she remembered when the Master had done that to her.

The Doctor shook his head quickly, but Jack continued speaking before he could say anything.

"No. It's worse than that." Jack explained, glancing at the Doctor.

"Well, what can be worse than that?!" Jackie demanded, frowning.

"When I found him, the Doctor was planning to physically harm himself so that he'd regenerate." Jack told them, watching both women carefully.

Both Jackie and Rose reacted as Jack had expected; gasping upon hearing the news, becoming panicked and watching the Doctor carefully.

"Doctor, I really don't think that's a good idea." Jackie began gently, starting towards the Time Lord "I mean, I remember how sick you were when you last did that, an' you won't be much help to Rose if you're laid up in bed!"

"It won't be like that this time, Jackie," the Doctor insisted "I know what I'm doing and it's the only way."

"It can't be, there must be something else we can do!" Jackie insisted as Jack nodded furiously.

"Don't you think I'd have thought of it if there was one?" the Doctor asked angrily "I have been through every possible idea, Jackie, and this is the only one that will guarantee that Rose won't have to go through the pain of hearing my voice- of hearing _this_ voice- day after day!"

"But Doctor-" Jack began, seeing that both Jackie and Rose were becoming rather distressed with the casual way the Doctor was talking of killing himself.

"No buts, Harkness. I _have_ to do this." The Doctor ground out.

Just for a brief second, Jack caught a hint of pure, unadulterated terror and desperation in the Time Lord's ancient eyes, and one glance at Jackie told him that she'd seen it too.

"Doctor…" Rose cut in suddenly. Her voice was quiet and shaky, but she continued anyway, and she met the Doctor's eyes "please don't do this. I don't want you to kill yourself for me! I don't want you to regenerate, I don't want to lose you. I like this you. An' yeah, I know it's gonna be awkward, an' it's gonna be scary, but I don't want you to change! We'll get through this, right? You said so yourself! You said that we were gonna try and make it get easier. Well, to do that, I need you here, an' I need you to not change. I…You know how I feel about you, an' I'm so sorry I can't say it yet, but I will be able to somewhen. So just…please?"

Instead of replying, the Doctor crossed the control room and pulled Rose in for a hug that she didn't resist. However, Jackie and Jack did not stop holding their breaths until several hours later when the Doctor agreed to go back to the flat with them.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Another chapter! One more left until we're onto the sequel of the sequel…If that makes sense…Anyway, fluff and hurt/comfort galore in this chapter, and for any Chameleon Circuit fans reading this, there are several 'quotes' to the song with the same name.**

"You…You weren't really gonna make yourself regenerate, were you?"

Rose's quiet question hung in the air as she and the Doctor lay curled up together in her bed on the TARDIS. The only noise was the gentle hum of the TARDIS, and the Doctor didn't seem to be in a rush to answer the question. Rose reluctantly pulled away from the Time Lord, sitting up slightly and watching him carefully in what little light illuminated her bedroom. She needed him to answer, and she knew the only way he would answer her was if she stared at him until he did, even if it meant not being cuddled up to him. Sometimes, she hated being close to him, and wouldn't give a second thought about pulling away to stare at the stubborn alien, but it seemed like then was one of those times where she actually enjoyed being close to him, which only made pulling away from him even harder.

"Doctor?" she prompted shakily.

Slowly, the Doctor met her eyes through the gloom.

"I don't know," he admitted quietly "probably."

Frowning, Rose lay back down, but was no longer touching him. If the Doctor was upset by that, it didn't show.

"Well, I meant what I said. I need you to stay as you are. Promise?"

"Rose-" the Doctor began.

"Promise?"

He sighed in defeat.

"Promise," he agreed.

Rose smiled slightly, pleased that she had at least gotten him to agree, and stifled a yawn. Eventually, however, her eyelids began to droop, and she was vaguely aware of the Doctor shifting in the bed. Praying he'd still be there when she woke, Rose fell into a fitful slumber.

**~StormWolf10~**

Rose awoke with a cry upon her lips and quickly found herself wrapped in a safe, warm embrace. The Doctor. He'd stayed, evidently, and Rose was glad he had, because tonight had been one of the more vivid nightmares she'd experience. Taking deep breaths, she managed to calm herself on her own, but the Doctor's quiet, comforting words helped too.

"You ok now?" the Doctor asked gently as her breathing finally became less laboured.

The Time Lord then grimaced, as he realised that his young companion was far from 'ok', but Rose waved it off with a weak smile.

"Nightmare," she answered softly.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Noticing Rose's hesitation, the Doctor quickly backtracked and added a sincere "If you want to, of course,"

Taking a deep breath, Rose nodded uncertainly. And so, she began to regale her nightmare.

"I…I was back at the house. That house, the one that… _he_ took me to. You were there, an' they had you tied up, an' they kept hurting me over an' over again. Punching me, kicking me…An' whenever you tried to stop them, they hurt you too. They hurt you so much…There was _so much blood_…"

The Doctor sighed, and pulled Rose in for a hug.

"You're fine, Rose, you're safe here and so am I," he told her softly.

"Tha's not the point," Rose insisted, pulling away to look at the Doctor "the point is, you weren't able to protect me in the dream, no matter how hard you tried. An' the same goes for real life. I don't want you gettin' hurt just to protect me."

"Rose, it won't be like that-" the Doctor protested desperately.

However, Rose wouldn't listen and was now voicing all the concerns that had been bottled up for months now.

"I mean, that's it!" Rose insisted tearily "My life is over! It'll never be the same again. I won't be able to travel with you anymore; I haven't even left the flat for more than a bottle of milk! There's no way I'll be able to step out onto strange planets with no idea of what's waiting for me…"

"Now, we don't know that," the Doctor insisted.

Again, he was cut off by Rose.

"This is it! Everything is ending. I just…I can't believe I didn't see it sooner. Guess I didn't want to, I suppose…"

"Listen to me Rose," the Doctor interrupted suddenly, desperate now "we don't know anything for certain yet, and I'm not just going to leave you here. I don't care how long it takes; I'm not leaving this planet without you by my side."

Rose laughed mirthlessly.

"I didn't expect you to understand, Doctor," she told him "I know that this is what I need to do though, even though you haven't got a clue. I suppose I didn't want to admit it sooner, but everything is changing, an'…an' I know you wouldn't leave me here. But…I had to keep you by my side tonight…Because, well, because I don't think I'd get through this without you."

Speechless, the Doctor looked down at his young companion.

"I wouldn't regret any of it, though," Rose continued, lighter than before "I never would regret any of what we did, but… well, I nearly died, in that basement. I nearly died, alone in the dark, and it made me think…Made me realise that, as much as I enjoy the adventures, I…I enjoy your company even more,"

The Doctor smiled gently at that, and kissed Rose on the forehead.

"An' I know I still haven't said it, but I will. Eventually. Soon." Rose told him tiredly.

The Doctor had only just found his voice again when Rose had drifted off to sleep.

"I know, Rose Tyler. I know," he whispered softly, kissing her forehead gently again.

Now if only he could convince Rose that her life wasn't over…


	10. Chapter 10

The Doctor took a deep breath, and he knew that Jack was watching him suspiciously.

"How about we go on a trip?"

There, he'd said it. He now felt the room's three other occupants staring at him, in various stages of disbelief.

"W- What?" Rose asked, wide eyed and trembling.

"Do you really think that's a good idea, Doctor?" Jack asked nervously as Jackie tried to comfort a now panicking Rose.

"Look, it's not doing Rose any good being cooped up in here, and while the familiar surroundings helped at first, it's now been a month and a half and you've only left the flat once! We need to take you somewhere you haven't been before, somewhere that won't bring up memories of you being kidnapped down in the courtyard," the Doctor explained, nodding out of the window as he spoke.

"B- But it'll b full of strangers," Rose pointed out nervously, allowing Jackie to draw her in for a hug.

"Well, yes, but we'll make sure you're with at least one of us all the time. And we can stay on the TARDIS at night. I could take you to the most relaxing spa planet in the Universe," the Doctor pointed out gently.

"Now hold on, I'm not sure if I wanna go to some Martian spa!" Jackie chipped in suddenly, glaring at the Doctor.

The Time Lord rolled his eyes.

"Why do you always think we're going to Mars?" he muttered under his breath.

Jackie continued to glare at him, so the Doctor hastened to reply.

"I was thinking of Barcelona, actually," the Doctor announced loudly.

For the first time in six weeks, he thought he saw a glimmer of excitement in Rose's otherwise dull eyes.

"The planet?" she asked timidly.

"Yeah," the Doctor replied, grinning "besides, I did promise to take you there!"

Rose smiled uncertainly, and Jack couldn't help but smile too. He'd been watching the interaction carefully, and realised that Barcelona must have been on the cards for some time now, they had just never gotten there.

"Are you sure this 'Barcelona' is safe for humans?" Jackie butted in again, brow furrowed as she continued to hug her daughter to her.

Before the Doctor could reply, Jack piped up.

"Very safe. The most danger Rose could get in there is being licked by one of the noseless dogs." Jack replied with a chuckle.

Jackie nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"When were you thinking of leaving, Doc?" Jack asked the Time Lord.

"Well, as soon as everyone's packed and ready to go," the Doctor admitted.

"I'll go pack now then," Jackie announced, beginning to head out of the room "what will I need to pack?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable in, Jackie," the Doctor assured her.

Jackie nodded, and had just reached the sitting room door when she froze.

"Hold on, what do you mean 'noseless dogs'?!"

**~StormWolf10~**

"Why are you doing this?" Rose asked the Doctor quietly.

They were sat in the TARDIS, waiting for Jackie to finish packing. As Rose had been sleeping on the TARDIS, she hadn't needed to pack anything from the flat. Jack had headed off to his room, insisting that he wanted to change into something 'more suited to Barcelona', although the Doctor knew that that was the Captain's way of giving him and Rose some privacy to talk. He made a mental note to thank him later.

"I think it'll help you get better. I know it won't make you better immediately, but we need to get you back outside, back out in crowds and surrounded by strangers." The Doctor told her.

He noticed Rose stiffen at his words, and knew she was beginning to panic again.

"You _can_ do this, Rose," the Doctor told her gently, gripping her hands in his.

Rose squeezed his hands tight, and offered him an awkward smile.

"Wha' if I can't, though?" Rose asked quietly.

"You will. Maybe not immediately, but we'll get there in the end. _I_ believe you can do this, Rose, you just need to prove it to yourself."

Rose's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and just then, the TARDIS doors were flung open and Jackie dragged a suitcase in.

"We going, then?" Jackie asked the Doctor abruptly.

"Yeah, if Rose is ready," the Doctor replied, jumping to his feet and looking down at his companion.

Rose attempted a reassuring smile and nodded. The Doctor grinned, and soon enough, he was bounding round the console, setting coordinates. He only hoped his plan worked…

**A/N : Haven't done an A/N at the end of a chapter for a loooooooonng time! But just to let you know, although this story is finished, this series will continue for one more story. So keep a look out for 'Kiss the Girl', coming soon! (Hopefully)**


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